WORCESTER — Detectives are investigating the "suspicious" death of a woman whose body was found Wednesday morning near a pathway behind the block of 50-60 Suffolk St.

According to neighbors, the footpath is a popular shortcut to and from Grafton Street, sometimes traveled by drug users. Evidence of drug use in the area was obvious Wednesday morning. What appeared to be a crack pipe was on the ground near the pathway.

Police restricted access to the area Wednesday morning and were focusing on an area behind one house. The house has some windows boarded up. Graffiti covered some of the boards.

Wednesday night, Suffolk Street was blocked off, with a cruiser at Wall Street and police tape near Vincent's, a bar at 49 Suffolk St. Around 8 p.m., police were combing the backyard area, with a police dog sniffing the ground.

Neighbors said the house near the crime scene had been remodeled a few years ago, but it appeared no one has lived in the house for some time.

Police spoke to Suffolk Street residents while the Crime Scene Unit worked. Small trees and brush are near the path.

Authorities have not officially termed the woman's death a homicide and have not released her name.

There have been eight killings in the city this year.

"We walk our dog through here," said Marlen Buden, who lives on nearby Wall Court, a short street off Wall Street. "We never expected to see anything like that. It is shocking."

One neighbor said she heard laughing or yelling in the middle of the night. Others living on the street said people have been known to use drugs in the pathway area.

If the death turns out to be the city's ninth homicide, the city will creep closer to matching double-digit killings seen in 2004 and 2011. There were 11 killings in 2004, and 10 in 2011. Last year, the city had nine. This year, three killings involved domestic violence.

Police Chief Gary J. Gemme said he could not discuss any details of the latest investigation, noting that detectives were still investigating the scene.

He said traditionally Worcester has had less violence than other major New England cities, but he noted that some categories, such as shootings, are rising this year.

There have been 28 shootings this year, with five fatalities, and 25 victims with non-fatal gunshot wounds. That is a jump from the 21 shootings last year. Five of the shootings in 2012 were fatal, and there were 19 non-fatal shooting victims.

"It is getting up to the numbers we've seen in our peak years," Chief Gemme said Wednesday. "When you look at the increase, it is a concern."

Much of the violence seen in Worcester surrounds gangs, drugs or gun violence, he said. Police often see some type of nexus to those illegal activities while investigating violent crime.

Police continue to use a number of different specialized units and strategies to combat serious and violent crime in the city.

Anyone with information may send an anonymous text to 274637 beginning with TIPWPD, or submit an anonymous message at www.worcesterma.gov/police, or call the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.